clarification: Stumptown Disc Golf has determined that it will be unable to hold an Ice Bowl this season. This does not mean that no individual or organization may or may not run an Ice Bowl in Portland. This is a free country, and anyone so inclined can run an Ice Bowl. I did. There are still two months remaining in the Ice Bowl time corridor, and I don't see why it couldn't happen. There was an Ice Bowl held in Portland last year (at Riverbend in Milo McIver). Enthusiasm was high at the event.

As the director of the Portland Lunchtime Ice Bowls 2003-2007, I feel all your pain. I truly wish I could have continued to run Ice Bowls in 2008 and 2009. However, if you ever attended any of "my" Ice Bowls, you know they were massive productions, on the scale of an OR Series event, a Dalaiwood event, a NW Amateur Series event, or even a PDGA Worlds. My new work responsibilities simply do not allow the gigantic time investment required to run an Ice Bowl to my own high standards. Take for another example Howliewood, an event so meticulously crafted, the organizers can only hold it every other year.

I truly appreciate the enormous outpouring of positive support and feedback I have received for my efforts in Portland Ice Bowls 2003-1007. Please do not at any time think that my reasons for not continuing have anything do do with player feedback or support, which has always been overwhelmingly positive. It is simply a matter of logistics. My offer still stands to mentor any individual or group that wishes to undertake an Ice Bowl.

Comment

I just received confirmation via Email that IceBowl will not happen again in the Portland area. This is disappointing because this particular tournament is a great event for amatuers that do not or have not taken the additional steps to get official status as a player. It also served a great charity in Oregon (OFB), and from what I recall was well attended and made money (my recollection is that people were turned away every year because enrollment was full).

If the task of organization is too much, I am sure that several people would volunteer (including me) to make this event happen? I am sure there are some roadblocks that I am unaware of, but again I think the community support is there. Seems a shame to have such a popular and well-attended event scuttled again just because of the effort to organize is large. I am afraid that the interest and enthusiasm surrounding this event will die down after two-years of no-shows...

Gawains reply is the same on both sites

But the question still reamins why is there no support from other than (the usual suspect/s)

Comment

One can not make such a statement, since any person could run an Ice Bowl in Portland at any time (during Jan or Feb) anywhere. It's not an exclusive thing. The way I got into it was: I just decided to do did it, and I did it. You get your event signed up at www.icebowlhq.com .

As far as Stumptown's reasons for looking into and then deciding not to run a Portland Ice Bowl this season, I suggest you ask Stumptown (I was not present at the meeting in question). (They have their own website with forum, at www.stumptowndg.com .) I think it was because the available manpower did not align with the available event dates. Additionally, I believe the ideal event date was not secured before another nearby event claimed it. Again, don't quote me on that reasoning, as I was not at the meeting, but that's basically what it said in an an email I received on the subject.

Comment

ďI believe I can hit 18 greens, hit every fairway, you know ó Vision 54, which means you birdie every hole, thatís in the back of my mind. I want to putt better, chip better. That day when I hit 18 greens and one putt, Iíll know Iím a complete golfer. Will that ever happen? Iím not sure, but itís possible. The 54 vision is always in the back of my mind.Ē~Annika SŲrenstam

Comment

Ok, let me do my best here to explain this. I was on the Stumptown committee that was taking on the Ice Bowl. It was with deep regrets that we felt we needed to step away and NOT do it. Gawain graciously offered his expertise in getting this together but was not able to run it himself. We threw around possible dates that we could all agree on and we had ONE day that worked for everybody. While trying to get the location/date/time in cement we found out that Festivus had secured that date and we felt it best to back away and not compete with another event of that caliber. Time was also becoming an issue and although we could throw something together that was not what we wanted to do. If we did it we wanted to do the event justice and do it right. Again, my deepest regrets for not making this event happen. I have never played an Icebowl and was really looking forward to it.

Gawain is right though that anybody can step up and run one and just because "this" Icebowl is not going to happen doesn't mean that "an" Icebowl can't or won't happen.

Stumptown will be holding a work party Jan. 24th (the day we had planned for Icebowl) at Lunchtime and hope to see a lot of Stumptowners out there.

Hope this helps to clear things up a bit. Any questions feel free to ask.

Bob

Comment

I really don't understand the idea of not having an event on the 24th in order to avoid a conflicting event and then having a club function on the 24th causing a conflict, anyway. I think that this is the thing that makes the least sense to me.

ďI believe I can hit 18 greens, hit every fairway, you know ó Vision 54, which means you birdie every hole, thatís in the back of my mind. I want to putt better, chip better. That day when I hit 18 greens and one putt, Iíll know Iím a complete golfer. Will that ever happen? Iím not sure, but itís possible. The 54 vision is always in the back of my mind.Ē~Annika SŲrenstam

Comment

I really don't understand the idea of not having an event on the 24th in order to avoid a conflicting event and then having a club function on the 24th causing a conflict, anyway. I think that this is the thing that makes the least sense to me.

We still did not nor do have confirmation that the facilities are or were available for the 24th. We do not need the facilities do hold a work party. The work party is for Stumptown members the Icebowl/Festivus is for everybody. For those not participating in Festivus please come out for a work party. For those that ARE going to Festivus have a great time.

Bob

ps..........these are just my interpretations on the discussion. Any other
Stumptowners want to jump in please do so if what I am saying is not clear or incorrect.

Comment

We still did not nor do have confirmation that the facilities are or were available for the 24th. We do not need the facilities do hold a work party. The work party is for Stumptown members the Icebowl/Festivus is for everybody. For those not participating in Festivus please come out for a work party. For those that ARE going to Festivus have a great time.

Bob

ps..........these are just my interpretations on the discussion. Any other
Stumptowners want to jump in please do so if what I am saying is not clear or incorrect.

a members only work party?

Golf appeals to the idiot in us and the child. Just how childlike golf players become is proven by their frequent inability to count past five. - John Updike